Reference no: EM133929613
Case
Knowledge Transfer; Performance Management; On-The-Job Training
Knowledge Transfer
Many employers do not have a plan to manage and transfer knowledge. Because workforce dynamics have changed, there is a greater need than ever for a knowledge-transfer strategy. Business wisdom is taken from organizations with retirements, resignations, and terminations, leaving companies more likely than not to have less growth capacity and less efficiency, especially in the short run.
In the past, the expectation of passing along knowledge and leaving a legacy was a good fit with the values of long-tenured employees who spent their careers with the same company. But in the modern workplace, where four generations work side by side, knowledge is not always well-filtered throughout an organization.
"As the Baby Boom generation of corporate leaders and experts approaches retirement, businesses in the U.S., Canada, and many European nations face the loss of experience and knowledge on an unprecedented scale," says Diane Piktialis, Mature Workforce Program Leader at The Conference Board. "Younger workers can't be counted on to fill the void, as they lack the experience that builds deep expertise. They also tend to change jobs frequently, taking their technological savvy and any knowledge they've gained with them."
Knowledge does not exist in a vacuum, so it is important to first identify and evaluate what kind of knowledge company executives are interested in capturing and sustaining. Get expert online assignment help in the USA.
Because so much knowledge transfer is cross-generational, from long-tenured to newer employees, an understanding of different learning styles based on generation facilitates the process. Understanding generational learning preferences and adapting how knowledge is conveyed can make the difference between merely harvesting knowledge and actually using it.
Adaptations should be made when the knowledge is specific to the organization and is mission critical, and when the less knowledgeable employee has specific generational learning preferences. For example, employees entering the workforce may prefer getting Instant Messages (IM) in real time rather than setting a schedule to meet. Gen Y employees may set up blogs to capture knowledge. Firms considering or using knowledge transfer processes should assess their readiness for Instant Messaging, blogs, wikis, RSS feeds, podcasts, and virtual reality.
There are many knowledge transfer methods available, including training seminars, formal education, interviews, mentoring, apprenticeships, instant messaging, job transfer, simulations and games, peer assists, communities of practice, storytelling, wikis, blogs, white papers, and conferences.